Then you may want to keep in mind some of the detour changes taking place on Sunset Drive, as the Gateway Project, which will see the construction of a roundabout at the intersection of Talbot Street, Sunset Drive and Wellington Road, enters its second phase.

“We completed phase 1 (Thursday), which was the construction of the three legs including Sunset on the west, Wellington on the north, Talbot on the east and the centre island itself,” said David Jackson, St. Thomas’s manager of public works.

Now “we are switching over to phase 2, which is the construction of the south leg of Sunset Drive.”

During the duration of this phase, expected to last about a month, staff will reopen access to the city via Talbot Hill, while closing down Sunset Drive.

This change will force drivers going to the Port Stanley area to drive on Talbot Hill all the way to Stanley Street and detour via Old Talbot Street to get back on Sunset Drive.

While drivers will be going through a portion of the roundabout, Jackson said it won’t be functioning as such until all work is done.

“People will have the chance to drive around it but it won’t be functioning as a roundabout at this point,” he said.

To the north, St. George Street continues to be the area’s main detour route, as Wellington Road will remain closed.

Other detour changes will be announced in the coming weeks before crews begin working on the third and final phase of the project, Jackson said. This phase will include some nightly closures of the entire intersection starting at 7 p.m. until 6 a.m.

“If you are on Wellington Road, St. George Street will continue to be the detour for that area, but if you are on Sunset Drive, the detour will likely be significant,” he said.

The exact dates and detours during that time are yet to be determined.

Despite the heavy rain that has hit the area in the last few weeks, Jackson also said the project is still on schedule and that the goal is to have the roundabout completed by the end of June ahead of the busy tourist season.

“The construction schedule does factor some rain days, so the rain we’ve had had no impact on the overall timeline,” he added.

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By the numbers – Gateway Project

The total cost of the project will be $2.1 million

Funding will be coming from three sources: tax funds, storm reserves and infrastructure reserves

Crews will be replacing nearly two kilometres of lanes

The city will pay an additional $186,000 to erect an sculpture in the middle of the roundabout